Sous Vide Florentine Style Porterhouse Steak

Last Updated on January 30, 2024 by Carne Diem

Protein: Beef

Origin: Italian, European

Method: Sous Vide, Stovetop or Grill

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This elegant Bistecca alla Fiorentina recipe is simply seasoned and cooked in a sous vide for a nice even cook. The thick cut Tuscan style steak is then sliced and served family style.

Background of Italian Bistecca alla Fiorentina

Florentine steak, Florentine Beefsteak or Bistecca alla Fiorentina, as it is often called, is a famous Tuscan dish.  Authentic Bistecca alla Fiorentina consists of a thick cut porterhouse from the Tuscan Chianina cattle.  Chianina cows are one of the largest and oldest cattle breeds in the world.  These large white cattle are cherished in Italy, and especially Tuscany.  

To make true Florentine steak, the thick steaks are simply seasoned and cooked over high heat for a few minutes per side.  Often the steak is eaten with a nice crust or char on the outside while the center remains warm but rare.  The rare steak is then shared among family and friends as a special occasion meal. In our Bistecca alla Fiorentina recipe we use a sous vide to cook the thick Tuscan steak evenly, before searing it in a hot cast iron pan to finish it off.

Preparing the Florentine Style Porterhouse

Selecting your steak

This is a simple but elegant dish, so you want to select a top quality steak for this. We do not have easy access to Chianina cattle here in the United States, however, so we elected to use a thick cut Akaushi beef porterhouse from Upper Cut in Liberty, MO.  Akaushi cattle are one of the 4 Japanese Wagyu breed of cattle.  Above all we love the marbling and taste of this breed, and we figured it would be the perfect beef for this elegant dish.  Feel free to use your favorite but pick a well marbled cut of meat.

We recommend using at least prime grade for this Florentine-Style Porterhouse. If you have access to dry aged beef, it is also wonderful when prepared this way.  In order to get the proper thick steak required for this recipe, you may need to speak to your local butcher to cut the steak for you.

What is a Porterhouse?

Porterhouse is the traditional cut used for Bistecca alla Fiorentina. Porterhouse is cut from the short loin and contains a tenderloin and strip loin steak. It is similar to a T-bone steak, however, it is cut from the back section of the short loin, so that it has a much larger filet or tenderloin section.

Remember that this is a shared dish, so go big or go home. Start by selecting a steak that is at least 1.5 inches thick. In Italy the steaks are typically measured in fingers, and thus 3-4 fingers thick steak is the way to go with this dish. The beauty of sous vide is that even thick cuts like Fiorentina steak are cooked through perfectly.

Seasoning the Florentine Style Steak

This dish is very simply seasoned, because you really want the beef to be the star of this dish. As a result, a little salt, pepper, olive oil, and fresh rosemary is all you will need.  In Italy, the Chianina beef is also typically only minimally seasoned with the goal of the delicious cut of meat being the sole focus.

First, pat the steak dry then lightly brush both sides of the steak with a little olive oil.

Next, liberally season both sides of the steak with salt and fresh cracked black pepper. The thicker the steak, the more heavy handed you can be with the salt and pepper. Top with a few sprigs of rosemary.

Next, place in a sous vide or vacuum seal bag, and seal the steak up.

Sous vide the steak

Prepare your sous vide, and heat your water bath to 126 degrees. You can read more about sous vide in our Tools of the Trade section. For this sous vide porterhouse recipe we are using our Anova Nano sous vide cooker. Place the sealed bag with the steak in the sous vide water bath, making certain it is fully submerged. Cook the steak for 2 hours.

At the end of 2 hours remove the steak from the water bath and remove from the vacuum sealed bag.

Searing and finishing the Florentine Style Porterhouse

Selecting the right oil or fat

To finish off the steak you want to give it a good sear. This is best achieved in a screaming hot cast iron pan with a thin layer of fat or oil. For this version we used beef tallow. Beef tallow has a high smoke point (400 degrees) and adds a nice "dry-aged" flavor to the beefsteak. If using an oil, select one this a high smoke point like avocado oil (520 degrees), Safflower Oil (510 degrees), or peanut oil (450 degrees). Another great choice for searing steaks is clarified butter or ghee. Avoid oils or fats with low smoke points like olive oil or butter.

Smoke point chart for common oils and fats

Searing the meat

Place just enough oil or fat in a cast iron pan, to cover the bottom of the pan. Heat over high heat. Make sure your hood is on because this will produce a lot of smoke once you start cooking. If you are worried about the smoke produced, you can also sear the steak on a very hot charcoal grill or wood fire grill over hot coals.  While a gas grill can be used, unless it has an infrared searing option, they often do not reach high enough temperatures to get a quick sear on the outside of the steak.

Once you have preheated the pan, toss the rosemary sprigs in the hot oil and cook for about 30 seconds to infuse a little more flavor into the oil. Remove and discard or save for plating if you wish.

Place the steak in the pan and sear for about 45-90 seconds per side. Consider wearing heat resistant gloves or over mitts to avoid burning yourself if the oil splatters.

You want a nice crust or hard char on the outside of the steak. The steak pictured below cooked for about 45 seconds per side and could have benefitted by going a little longer, but it was on the thin side for this Fiorentina steak recipe, and we wanted to avoid overcooking it. Thicker steaks are far less likely to overcook so give it at least a minute per side and see how the crust looks.

Once the Bistecca alla Fiorentina has finished searing, remove the steak to a wooden cutting board and let it rest for about 3-5 minutes.

Serving Bistecca alla Fiorentina

Once the steak has rested it is ready to eat.  To serve the Florentine Style Porterhouse, season the steak with a little fine, course sea salt and cut into slices.  Again, we recommend using only salt to season the steak. 

The sliced meat is typically served family style along with other Tuscan favorites like roasted potatoes, Italian bread, cannellini beans, or sautéed spinach.

Bon appetite!

If you are looking for more great steak recipe ideas using sous vide, then be sure to check out our Reverse Seared Teres Major with His and Her Sauces. For a more traditionally cooked steak take a look at our recipes for Filet Mignon with Goat Cheese Sauce and Grand Marnier Sautéed Peppers, Reverse Seared Argentinian Ribeye With Chimichurri Sauce or our Quattro Formaggi Crusted Steak.

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